I’m 43 years old, 5 months a go I gave birth to my second child, and I live in Miami. So even though I wouldn’t want it, I have to wear a swimming suit. Not only because I want to enjoy the pool and the sea with my children, but because a lot of the social life in this city is next to the pool or on the beach.

For many of the people who live here is very natural, but for me wearing a swimming suit or bikini hasn’t been so. When I was a teenager, the most of my friends and me, when we had an activity that involved water we would cover ourselves with t-shirts even to go in the pool.

No, there weren’t the 50s or the 60s, were the 80s in Chihuahua, a beautiful city in the desert, in which we rarely had any social activity next to the water. Gradually and when I left Chihuahua I started to dare every time more to show my figure, even though it was with a little of shame since I used to think that it wasn’t perfect.

Now, with a lot of years in between, I see pictures that I have once made in the different beaches I visited and I can see that I didn’t look bad at all. Well, now that I became a mother, I’m in my 40s and my body has changed, that feeling, that is more rejection to my present figure than modesty, comes back to torture me.

Though, I’m not 16 anymore, and at almost 44 I have way more tools to defend myself and center my mind and my heart in what really matters: I have a beautiful and healthy body, just the way it is today.

So, yesterday that I went to buy a swimming suit for this postpartum period, in which I have a baby at home, I thought about many things that I myself take into consideration to not end frustrated, devastated and with my self esteem on the floor. And I want to share them with you.

It’s easier said than done. Love it, be thankful with it for everything that it has given to you. It is the only body you have and you are going to have, and if you aren’t capable of loving it the way it is today, you won’t do it even after a thousand plastic surgeries and diets.

Almost all of us (ladies) have done it. I declare myself guilty of many times keep doing it. But just like you don’t talk bad about your husband, kids or people you love, and you don’t allow anybody else to do it, try not to talk bad about it and not to put yourself in the situation for others to criticize it in front of you. It really helps to love it even more!

Like in all relationships, there are things you like and others that not so much about other people. If you see only the bad ones, that person appears despicable, but if you see the good things, is someone with whom you want to spend time, have fun and share different activities. The same goes to the relationship with your body. Find what you really like about it, what makes you feel well and focus on that.

And having all these in mind, now you are ready for buying your swimming suit.

Don’t wait until you really need it to panic and end up buying something that doesn’t convince you. And don’t think that you won’t need it, because the day you really need to wear one you will regret of not having anything in which you feel comfortable to wear.

Prepárate para hacer una inversión / Be prepared to make an investment

Nowadays swimming suits are made out of elastic fibers that help to create support like elastan. It is comercialized also as Numa, Unei, Dorlastan and Lycra. This fiber stretches a lot and goes back to its original shape. For instances, a Spanx shapewear has 20%, the swimming suits I bought had 28% in the lining and 20% in the exterior (double elastic). This model at Target has only 18% and I ignore if it comes with lining.

This is something very important for me. The fact that the top fits well is basic for a swimming suit to look good. And we come to the same point, it is very likely that a cheap swimming suit won’t have a good underwire, elastic bands, cups or fillings to shape and protect.

If you decide to buy a one piece or a bikini, the cut and the shape is very important. Look for the sewings, where are they, how the top is constructed. There are cuts and style that will look better on you than others.

For instances, I bought two one-piece swimming suits. One looks better than the other thanks to the V shape cleavage, as well as the more open back. Actually my back is one of the things I like more about my figure.

In this case, since I’m not completely comfortable with my mommy tummy and since I have to be with two kids in the water I decided to buy two one-pieces instead of the bikini, because they were at the 50% off. Both of them look well on me, and I just love the print of the one is less favorable (but still looks very good) on me.

A swimming suit’s quality can be tell also in the hooks, zippers, brooches or other details. It is always better that they are made out of metal, but be aware that the metal piece shouldn’t touch directly your skin while exposed to the sun, because they can bother or even burn you.

It doesn’t matter if the swimming suit is 6, 8, 10 or whatever size it is. What is really important is that is not small, because it will make marks on your body, or too big, because you will end up with wrinkles. Like this blue one that I tried, it is big for me and it doesn’t look as favorable as the others. Look if it fits. Who cares about the size if it doesn’t look good on you.

Busca una salida de baño que le quede / Find a swimming suit cover up that goes with it

It is always better to buy at the same time a cover up that goes with it, so you can see them together. It is not worth it to invest in a beautiful swimming suit if you have to hide it under an old dress or t-shirt.

Enjoy your swimming suit, the summer and the sun, and specially the blessing of having a house for your soul that makes you an unique human being!